Great Wolf Lodge, Grapevine. Fantastic!

guest post by Rebecca

We took the kids to the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Monday, for a little Easter Octave vacation. Great Wolf Lodge is a resort hotel geared toward families -- and it does very well.

We thought it would be a fun mini-vacation reminiscent of the trips to the Airport Marriott my parents did with my brothers and me.
(editors note: they were fun)

We drove up to the large Lodge entrance and the kids were coming out of their seats with excitement. As you walk in, there is a huge fireplace in the lobby with fantasy-land caricatures that make you feel like you are in an enchanted wood. And then you see the immense indoor water park . . . and this is only the beginning!

We went to our cabin-themed room which had a smaller room for the kids with bunk beds, twin bed and their own TV -- it looked like a log cabin. I think we would have been apoplectic if we had been to something like this as kids -- the closest memory I have to being this excited about somewhere we stayed is of an Embassy Suite in San Antonio and riding the glass elevators up and down. The kids were out of their heads with excitement which was worth the trip in itself.

After getting settled in the room, we visited to the water park. I was worried it would have an overwhelming chlorine smell because it is indoors. But it didn't, it was great! They must have good ventilation because it didn't smell like chlorine at all. There was a kiddie pool, where we spent most of our time, that resembles an enormous playground. It has large slides, water guns and a very large bucket of water that dumps water every 15 minutes or so. The water park also has large tube slides, appropriate for an adult or teenager, a lazy river, and a wave pool.

It was great. I was very pleased with the number of lifeguards, free use of tubes, and life jackets for the kids. The water park is only for guests so it makes for a great atmosphere -- everyone is on vacation.

There are many other indoor activities available and activities geared for the "tween" crowd, such as an arcade and a magic quest game that can be played throughout the hotel like a scavenger hunt. I think you compete with other guests.

The only thing that we would have liked was room service because the kids ate pizza and we were wanting something to enjoy after they went to bed. There are restaurants in the hotel, but they are expensive and not very good, so we ordered PF Changs to eat in the room.

All in all I would definitely recommend it especially if your kids are between 6 and 14. Our kids were a little young to enjoy all that they had to offer, but we will definitely be back!

Walk & Bike along the Trinity River.

Trinity River
Fort Worth from North

"The Trinity River is a 710-mile long river that flows entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. . . its complete name is "La Santísima Trinidad" or the Most Holy Trinity."

So says the Wikipedia entry.

For Fort Worthians, it is available as everyone's backyard, though I have wondered why so few take advantage of it. There are some beautiful sections, so peaceful you would think that you are not in a city. The most visited area of the path, at the park at University and I30, is only a small section of the whole trail which, from that park, goes North to La Grange Field, around to the East just north of the Woodhaven area, and reaches south all the way to Benbrook Lake.

We like to pull off at Hulen at the Tom Thumb shopping center for refreshments and a coffee break at Starbucks.

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Those interested in the future of the Trinity River and its development:

http://www.trinityrivervision.org/TRVWEB/Default.aspx

For excellent news, commentary, and photographs of development, Fort Worth:

http://fortworthology.com/

Tea Parties in Texas

R.J. Matson, NY, The New York Observer

Who cares if the Tea Parties won't make any immediate change to our overtaxed lives. They are fun and I like them. It's a start.

My son called me today from San Antonio to suggest I turn on the news because one of the 800 Tea Parties was being held in front of the Alamo.

A couple thousand Texans were out there saying enough's enough. It's not a conservative/liberal debate, it's just an expression of frustration with Washington's overly strong hand in every conceivable part of American life. Republican Presidents have been as bad as Democratic Presidents, and sometimes worse.

If it is true that we have the government we deserve then we need to take a hard look at ourselves because what we have is not good.

The Yucatan Taco Stand.

Guest post by Elizabeth

The Yucatan Taco Stand is on Magnolia where the BJ Keefers used to be. What a transformation! It reminds me of a Mexican restaurant version of Pei Wei, in that you walk in, order, and your food is brought to you.

The atmosphere is dark but pleasant. There's a nice mix of tables, booths and patio seating.

The food is reasonably priced and I really enjoy the fajitas. I think they use a lot of lime and citrus flavoring in the dishes which I happen to enjoy. They have a full bar and at night and live music. I guess I'm getting old because if I get to go out without children and have adult conversation, I don't really like to compete with the music. I'm sure the music is more of a weekend thing and it fits as there was a good showing of the TCU crowd when I visited. I love sitting outside on the patio.

Visually, the food is plated in attractive and interesting ways. The fajitas are served on a long narrow platter with all the sides displayed nicely.

My only complaint is that it is dark and somewhat hard to see your food. I definitely want to try it at lunch soon.

Each time I've been the place was packed. This is going to become one of my favorite cheap date night dinner places.

Yucatan has a lot of bang for the buck.

Their website has the full menu and a few pics of the restaurant:

http://www.yucatantacostand1.com/default.htm

Guest Post by Elizabeth. See Elizabeth's artistry at: http://littlelizzie.typepad.com/

Main Street Arts Festival: #3 nationwide.

"JUST ANNOUNCED: The prestigious Art Fair SourceBook has just released its 2008 national rankings, and MAIN ST. has come in at #3 in Fine Art and #6 in Fine Craft! The rankings are based on several factors, the most significant being the sales revenues of our participating artists. Over 1000 festivals are reviewed prior to establishing the rankings.
Thank you, Fort Worth! "

The above quote is from the Main Street Arts Festival website.

If you haven't been. Go. If for no other reason than to view the exhibits, but, the food's not bad either. It is, as they say, Fort Worth's most honored event and has been going now for 24 years.

The entertainment is good, too. That's an understatement. Main St offers many different kinds of music and performance groups from Ballet Folklorico to Mass Ensemble. Country, blues, jazz, funk, pop, etc. This has become a serious citywide festival.

So between Central Market and Main St. you have a pretty good weekend shaping up.

Main Street Arts Festival. April 16-19.

http://www.mainstreetartsfest.org